Welcome to Lucky 17Hand Carved Decoys

Lucky 17 was founded in November of 2013 after its carver, Brent Hood, decided to take a head carving class at the Core Sound Decoy Guild at Harkers Island, NC.

Hood still considers himself to be a rookie, but continues learning the craft. He has always admired the Core Sound hunting style decoy for its simplicity and minimalist elegance. With that, his current decoy carving is strictly in the traditional Core Sound style.

In memory of Matthew Cullen Hood.
March 17, 1998-February 19, 2009.

In memory of Robert Kent Hood,
January 17, 1965-July 16, 2012.

In honor of Parker and Elizabeth Hood.

Lucky 17 DecoysWhat I'm working on.

Sprigs

October 28, 2014: I am working on 2 and 2/3rds of a set of Pintails. One is headed to Florida, one is a birthday gift to a good friend, Willie Holder, and the 2/3rds is going on the sign my cousin Jennifer Phillips made for my decoy carving barn.

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Set Of Black Ducks

July 10, 2014: The set of American Black Ducks have been completed. One now resides in Lucama, NC, one in Bismarck, ND, one sits next to one of my brother's Redheads in Grantham, NC, and the fourth bird was a gift to Jerry Talton.

Number 17

June 25, 2014: I am now starting on my 17th bird, and this one is going to be a Red Head that will be heading downeast. Number 17 is going to Corey Lawrence, who lives down near Harkers Island, NC. I told Corey the story about how I came up with the Lucky 17 name, and he said he wanted my 17th bird. I told him it was his. I wasn't even sure I'd make it to 17. Photos coming soon.

Black Duck Class at the Guild

June 21-22, 2014: I took the Jamie Hand decoy carving class at the Core Sound Decoy Carvers Guild in Harkers Island and came home with a beautiful Core Sound style Black Duck that I made from a Jersey Shore head and body pattern. The body is two pieces with the center hollowed out.

Why Lucky 17?Because of them.

It was around 1995 when I first attended the Core Sound Decoy Festival at Harkers Island, NC. After attending for two or three more years, I decided to try my hand at carving decoys. My first attempts were very crude and basic heads with canvas bodies. Truth be told, they didn't turn out very well, and after making a hand full of Canada geese and a few mallards, I gave it up.

My brother, the late Kent Hood, began carving decoys around 2005 when he met up with the fellow who would become his best friend, Jerry Talton. Kent carved in the traditional style of solid wood bodies and heads. It wasn't long after he began carving that he also started promoting the art of carving to anyone who would listen to him. I regret that I didn't get back into carving before he died of cancer on July 16, 2012.

Jerry invited me to attend a head carving class he was teaching at the Core Sound Decoy Carvers Guild at Harkers Island in July 2013. Little did I know how that one class would light a fire in me to try decoy carving again.

I just recently decided to call my carving adventure Lucky 17, which is based on my branding iron mark that I designed. The shamrock and the number 17 have a deep meaning to me in many ways. My wife was born on October 17, my oldest son's birthday is September 17, my youngest son was born on March 17, and Kent's birthday is January 17. So you can see where the 17 comes from, and if you noticed, my youngest son's birthday is always on St. Patrick's Day - March 17. He passed away on February 19, 2009.

So you see, the shamrock and 17 - Lucky 17 - are in honor and memory of them.